House of Anansi press has released an updated version of Deborah Ellis’ poignant and beautifully written tale, The Breadwinner. Aimed at younger readers, the book puts a face to stories that help the reader empathise and understand some of the issues that are taking place in Afghanistan. Canadian born Ellis has crafted a whole series, with…
Category: The Book Shelf
Annihilation (2014) – Jeff VanderMeer
Full disclosure: I had never heard of this book until I saw the trailer for this movie from the writer and director of Ex Machina, the visuals looked amazing, and the ambiguity and mystery conveyed by the short teaser drove me out to find a copy of the Southern Reach trilogy right away. Annihilation is…
Fear (2017) – Dirk Kurbjuweit
Hitting trade paperback on Canadian book shelves this week is this engrossing thriller penned by German author Dirk Kurbjuweit. A captivating tale the novel explores themes of love, family, perceptions of masculinity, and the rule of law. The novel opens with a murder. And a confession. For months Randolph Tiefenthaler and his wife, Rebecca and…
A Swiftly Tilting Planet (1978) – Madeleine L’Engle
The third book in the Wrinkle in Time series is quite possibly my favourite of the lot so far. Set some years after the previous tale, A Wind in the Door, it was nice to catch up with the Murry family again. Meg is now married to Calvin, and is pregnant, the twins are continuing…
Star Trek: Battlestations! (1986) – Diane Carey
The Star Trek novel on the Book Shelf this week is the last one to feature an author created character in the lead role. Commander Piper, previously appearing in Dreadnought! is back in this follow-up that is set only weeks after the first novel. Told in the first person, Piper’s story is exciting, and fits…
Star Wars Made Easy (2017) – Christian Blauvelt
DK Canada unleashes the Force with their playful and entertaining Star Wars Made Easy. Positioning itself as A Beginner’s Guide to a Galaxy Far, Far Away, for that rare person who has never seen any of the films, Vlauvelt’s book is a lot of fun, embracing the fun that is an inherent part of the…
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) – Vonda N. McIntyre
This week’s Book Shelf brings me to the movie adaptation of Star Trek IV, as I continue to enjoy, discover new stories and revisit old ones with the Pocket Book novels. Working from the film’s original script, McIntyre expands on the film’s story, as well as tying it more strongly into her own stories and…
A Wind in the Door (1973) – Madeline L’Engle
This week, I dove into the second adventure of the Murry children first begun in the childhood classic (which I had never read) A Wrinkle in Time. I was curious to see where both characters and story would go as the adventure continues, so I devoured the book eagerly. This story feels both larger and…
Ultimate Marvel (2017) – Adam Bray, Lorraine Cink, Melanie Scott, and Stephen Wiacek
Need to settle an argument? Want to know when Iron Man made his first appearance? Want to know what the Clone Saga was about? It’s all here at your fingertips as DK Books unleashes their comprehensive guide to all things Marvel with their release of Ultimate Marvel. Serving as a fantastic companion piece to books…
The Desert Spear (2010) – Peter V. Brett
The second book in Peter Brett’s Demon Cycle series finds its way to the Book Shelf this week, and it is as captivating as the first while continue to world build, pick up story threads, and throw now beloved characters into new scenarios and choices. A fast-paced read, Brett crafts Desert Spear with an eye…
The Mind Reels 